US admits ex-drug kingpin’s presence in Dominican Republic: Listin

A. Falcon

Santo Domingo.- The US embassy on Mon. acknowledged to outlet Listin Diario that the Department of Homeland Security was the agency that asked the Dominican government to receive former drug kingpin Augusto “Willie” Falcón, a Cuban national, who was escorted to the Dominican Republic on November 6.

It asked the US Embassy under what conditions the former drug lord arrived, after serving a reduced 20-year sentence to drug trafficking.

“The (US) Embassy offered the information and put this newspaper in contact with the Department of Homeland Security of the United States, to whom a questionnaire was submitted that sought to clarify the conditions in which Falcón’s arrival was addressed,” it said.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) issued a response to the questionnaire, Listin reports. and quotes Tammy Spicer, public affairs officer of that agency: “Sir, here is the information I can provide: The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) has taken Cuban citizen Augusto Falcón-Ramos, also known as Willie Falcón, to the Dominican Republic on November 6.”

Spicer goes on to detail the conditions of Falcon’s expulsion from the US and subsequent arrival in the Dominican Republic, where it has become yet another government scandal.